Millon Lacrossehttps://millonlacrosse.com
Boys Lacrosse CampWed, 21 Feb 2018 07:26:13 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.9“Compounding” and “trusting the process” in lacrosse developmenthttps://millonlacrosse.com/compounding-trusting-process-lacrosse-development/
Thu, 26 Jan 2017 16:41:54 +0000http://millonlacrosse.com/?p=2404“Compounding” and “trusting the process” in lacrosse development As we get deeper into an “instant gratification” culture I want to remind parents and players that lacrosse is a difficult sport to play at the highest level and one needs to be patient and trust the process. I am constantly asked “what recruiting events to attend” […]

As we get deeper into an “instant gratification” culture I want to remind parents and players that lacrosse is a difficult sport to play at the highest level and one needs to be patient and trust the process. I am constantly asked “what recruiting events to attend” and “how you get recruited” and without hesitation I always tell folks “good players get recruited”. Athletes need to remember that under the age of 14 or so you should not be concerned about results, wins/losses, but focus on improvement on fundamentals especially during the offseason. I hope to illustrate this through the investing concept of compounding. Everything I outline here regarding development works under two assumptions.

The program you are playing under has a process and plan and has significant experience in athletic development.

The players in question have a passion for lacrosse, and are willing to spend countless hours at home following up on the skills that are taught inside the camp or program.

Let me take a moment and define “compounding” and compound interest with regard to finance and investing.

Business and investing concept: Compound Interest

Compound interest happens when interest is added to the principal, and the interest itself also earns interest. This addition of the interest to the principal is what is known as compounding. In finance compounding is the process of generating earnings on an asset’s reinvested earnings. It requires only two things to work: the re-investment of earnings and time. When more time is given to an investment, the more it is able to accelerate the income potential of the original investment. Over time, compound interest allows for exponential growth.

How does this relate to athletic development and “trusting the process”? Lets use a new skill like a split dodge as an example. The first time it is learned at a camp or training session it’s competently foreign. However, if you spend time working on it at home, while it may not initially be ready to help in games; you now have the skill in your body’s muscle memory. The next time you attend a session, the skill in question is there and you can refine it even further compounding what you learned the first time through. The next time it’s even further refined until after years of work you’re an “expert” and it is ready to help you during games. I think all too often parents have the “we have already been through that training” mentality and its wrong, because of this concept.

Let’s use box lacrosse as an additional example. The first time you participate as a young American player in box the concepts are totally foreign to you. You are lost, right? You spend several months working on it and continue to be introduced to it gaining comfort each session. As your box training ends and you then move towards field lacrosse hopefully those skills helped some? Maybe, maybe not? If they didn’t are you done with box? Did the instant hopes of box turning you into an elite player not work out? I hope the answer is no. You should jump back in the next year, hopefully with a base your skills (like the initial monetary investment in the financial model) and your brain will accept the concepts more easily and more wholly the second time around. Then even more the third time. Now visualize playing box for 3-4 years, you’re a sophomore or junior in HS and playing like a true Canadian box player. Your good at box lacrosse and the skills that correlate over to field lacrosse are really benefitting you.

If you’re a parent or player that has hope and aspirations to play the game at the Elite HS or NCAA level you really need to find a great program that has a plan, your son needs to be committed to working on his own and you need to stay the course and trust the process. Whether it all works out or not, through trusting the process your teaching grit and determination and giving your son the best chance possible for success.

]]>Millon lacrosse seeks social media intern for summer 2017https://millonlacrosse.com/millon-lacrosse-seeks-social-media-intern-summer-2017/
Tue, 06 Dec 2016 16:21:56 +0000http://millonlacrosse.com/?p=2392 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Millon Lacrosse, LLC is in search of social media Interns for the summer of 2017 Millon Lacrosse is in search of Social Media Interns for the summer of 2017. We are seeking individuals with some background in communication, marketing, electronic media, or sports management. This is a great opportunity for students […]

Millon Lacrosse, LLC is in search of social media Interns for the summer of 2017

Millon Lacrosse is in search of Social Media Interns for the summer of 2017. We are seeking individuals with some background in communication, marketing, electronic media, or sports management. This is a great opportunity for students to earn college credits and put together a resume’ of their work they collect during the period of their internship and add to their portfolio for future employment. This is an unpaid internship, however travel accommodations are covered. If interested, please contact Austin Stewart, Director of Operations, about this opportunity at millonlacrosse@gmail.com.

Job functions:

Attend MLC sessions and capture videos and photos of the campers and coaches both on and off. Intern to post photos and videos on all of our social media channels with a goal of both growing our following on social media and capturing the essence of the Millon Lacrosse Camp brand

Position likely to include additional general sports marketing and event operations

Requirements:

Sport management, marketing and/or business majors preferred

Lacrosse knowledge preferred

Customer service and leadership skills

Written and oral communication skills

About Millon Lacrosse Camps

Millon Lacrosse enters its 23rd summer in operation and continues to be regarded as THE #1 instructional camp in the U.S., providing an ideal balance of the most complete individual instruction, full-field play, and fun. Millon camp boasts an impeccable safety record with each camp employing a full time security director, tremendous organization, and campers learn vital social and responsibility skills that will last a lifetime. Registration is now open for all 2017 Millon Lacrosse Camp sessions in Atlanta, GA, Long Island, NY, Massachusetts, Ohio, Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Pennsylvania. For more information on the Millon brand visit www.millonlacrosse.com , or contact us at 516-747-7260.

]]>“Back of the net” by 109 goal scorer Austin Stewarthttps://millonlacrosse.com/goal-scoring-tips-109-goal-scorer-austin-stewart/
Wed, 12 Oct 2016 21:03:33 +0000http://millonlacrosse.com/?p=2336 By Austin Stewart In 2015, I had a magical season with my Lynchburg College team as we went all the way to the D3 National Championship before coming up a little short to a great Tufts team. Along the way, with the help of my great teammates I was able to find the […]

In 2015, I had a magical season with my Lynchburg College team as we went all the way to the D3 National Championship before coming up a little short to a great Tufts team. Along the way, with the help of my great teammates I was able to find the net a D3 season All time record 109 times. It was pretty special, here are a few tips that I think can help you.

Scoring goals at the highest levels can appear easier than it really is, some guys are physically gifted and unbelievable athletes but still struggle to get the ball in the back of the net. Why is that? Because goal scoring in a sense is an art…here are my 5 tips to becoming a better goal scorer:

1. Move Your Feet, develop IQ.

Too often I see younger kids either in a game, practice or even getting extra reps on their own standing still. Lacrosse is known as “the fastest game on 2 feet” yet this idea of standing still is becoming more and more popular. Very seldom in a game do you get the opportunity to stand still in a game and benefit from it. I would say on average, a good player will get 3-5 shots a game, and 1 “time and room” shot if they are lucky. In order to maximize your shot count, you have to move, and move with intelligence! With or without the ball, you will not be successful without constant movement. Just by simply moving around the offensive zone, you will start to find yourself getting a lot more shots in a game. As you progress, you will realize how little, precise movements are all you need to evolve your game. Whether it’s a pop, a cut, a fade, or constant focus/concentration, movement is key to goal scoring.

2 Creativity and fundamentals

Not many great scorers have poor fundamentals. Play with both hands; always release the top hand away from your body to create power and quickness. I feel the best coaches do a great job of letting their players play. There are still team concepts and offenses in place, but they let their players work out of the sets, and don’t give them set rules with how to play offense. Too often kids fear being creative, thinking they could get pulled. I am NOT encouraging players to go rogue just to try and score goals, but think outside the box. Shoot from different planes, with different hand positions, behind the back, with both hands etc. Practice is a great time to work on this to get a feel for whether or not it will be effective. It’s key to remember new is ok, but effectiveness is more important. Don’t put your team in a bad spot just because you want to score goals. Change it up, and don’t get in a routine that becomes predictable and easy to defend. Lastly, as one of my college coaches often said to me, “have an escape plan”, simply meaning don’t make any moves that if they don’t work, it is a quick turnover. Give yourself and your team the ability to keep the possession alive.

3. Have the best stick skills that you possibly can

Unfortunately a lot of players have a misconception that their stick skills are “good enough”. Wrong! No one in the world has still skills good enough to stop working on them, and everyone can always improve their stick skills. Specifically, catching…work very hard on your catching. If you get a bad pass near the goal and you miss it? Scoring chance lost…if you catch it and catch “everything” scoring chances gained every time. Ultimately, if you have a great stick, you can likely guarantee you will catch every ball, shoot from any angle, and you will develop the confidence needed to take risks on the field that put you in the best possible position to score. Don’t make excuses. My point here is mostly technical skill wise, but also make sure your lacrosse stick is completely dialed in to suit your game, the more confidence you have in your stick the better you will play.

4. Have No Fear

There is no truer statement out there than what the Great Wayne Gretzky said: “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take”. As cliché as that line is, it is so applicable to being a great scorer in every sport. Again, I am not encouraging reckless play just to get your shot count up, but often times I see players shy away from a great goal scoring opportunity. Sometimes I feel that they pull away because they don’t realize that they have a great scoring chance, and other times they back away from the chance because they lack the confidence to take a chance. Easy fix to both of those reasons. A) Watch film, of both yourself and others, see what your missing and try and get a better understanding for when exactly to exploit a defense. Also getting back to creativity, figure out new ways to attack the goal even if you aren’t use to doing it. B) Just remember why you’re out there, what’s the worst thing that can happen? You lose? This leads me to my last and most important tip.

5. Have Fun

Lacrosse is the greatest game on the planet.It is easy to get caught up with all the distractions in our sport such as getting recruited, which club team to play for, etc… At the end of the day you are playing the sport you love for a reason, because you love it. So don’t hesitate to go out there and enjoy it with a smile on your face. Play with passion, energy, play with guts, hold yourself accountable, but have fun while doing it.

]]>Is this how you coach YOUR kids to play this great game?https://millonlacrosse.com/is-this-how-you-coach-your-kids-to-play-this-great-game/
Sun, 10 Apr 2016 04:15:01 +0000http://millonlacrosse.com/?p=2203I wrote just last Friday about high egregious hits in youth lacrosse. These are little boys, their equipment isn’t built for it, their brains aren’t ready, and with their hands tied up with the stick they are sitting ducks. The targeting incident you see in the video occured Saturday to a 6th grader. The white […]

]]>I wrote just last Friday about high egregious hits in youth lacrosse. These are little boys, their equipment isn’t built for it, their brains aren’t ready, and with their hands tied up with the stick they are sitting ducks. The targeting incident you see in the video occured Saturday to a 6th grader. The white teams coaches, two high profile personalities in lacrosse, argued with the officals that this hit was a NOT a penalty. Neither coach EVER asked if the player was ok. The ref deemed this to be a one minute penalty. Watch the video a few times, turn up your sound, these kids are 11 and 12 and this is a one minute penalty? This is not met with a game ejection? NHL hockey? This is a 6 game suspesnion plus fines. NFL? $50,000 fine. NCAA football? Ejection. Youth hockey? Instant 10 minute penalty plus they take another player off the ice (10 and 2 penalty). This hit should not even be in the realm of youth lacrosse, yet it’s a one minute penalty. This sport needs to get this right. We need to get it right for health and safety and we need to get it right to grow the game. Coaches need to get it right, if you want to win that bad, fine. Next time I’ll give you the W rather than risk kids well being.

]]>Because You Played It, Doesn’t Mean You Can Teach Ithttps://millonlacrosse.com/because-you-played-it-doesnt-mean-you-can-teach-it/
Mon, 18 Jan 2016 16:45:39 +0000http://millonlacrosse.com/?p=2180I graduated from UMASS in 1993 and started my camp business in 1994. During that time, I have had over 25,000 young men attend my camps. I’ve also done countless clinics around the nation, coached high school varsity lacrosse at Gilman, and coached many years of my sons youth teams. All in addition to playing […]

]]>I graduated from UMASS in 1993 and started my camp business in 1994. During that time, I have had over 25,000 young men attend my camps. I’ve also done countless clinics around the nation, coached high school varsity lacrosse at Gilman, and coached many years of my sons youth teams. All in addition to playing youth lacrosse, HS lacrosse, NCAA lacrosse, nine years in the NLL, and 2-time a world champion with Team USA. Totaled, I have been on a lacrosse field for likely half of my life. During those years, I have become a better teacher and student of the game every single day. What I’ve found the most interesting and what has taught me the most about lacrosse instruction is what I’ve learned from my other athletic passion; golf. Golf has taught me two major points.

Because you play or played it, doesn’t mean you can teach it. I have become a pretty good golfer over the years. I am currently a 3 handicap which is close to the equivalent of playing high level golf or fairly analogous to playing NCAA lacrosse. So guess what-I can play golf but I couldn’t teach you one darn thing about how to become a better golfer. I don’t know about the swing and the methodologies behind it, I have become pretty good because Ive practiced it and its somewhat natural to me. So why in lacrosse does every single club program or camp tout the “former player” as a great coach? Really? Does playing lacrosse at a fairly high level mean he can make your son better?

Offensive skill in lacrosse is difficult, golf is difficult. Many of the movements are similar and involve multiple body parts moving very fast at the same time. So, I believe in order to instruct someone you need to capture those moving parts through video. Did you know you cannot take a golf lesson in this country today without the use of video analysis? It is impossible to see the hand, hip, shoulder, wrist, and head movements with a naked eye, its too fast…too much happening. Yet how many “coaches” in lacrosse are using video to teach individual skill? Not many.

How about true methodology? There are probably 5,000 golf instructional books/dvd’s and about 5 major schools of thought on the golf swing. What about lacrosse? Do the ncaa players who come home and teach your sons over the summer have methodologies? How do they know what they teach to a young player during a lesson is being executed correctly out on the field without video? In golf, you couldn’t take a lesson from a college golfer; you go to a PGA professional. It’s how golf works.

So, why then aren’t lacrosse instructors/coaches using these technologies? Why does it seem that teaching lacrosse is so “off the cuff” vs golf? It’s simple. There were around 25 million active golfers in the U.S. in 2014, the industry is massive and the money that can be and has been spent on instructional technology is equally as huge. It has been this way for 75 years or more. While I wish these simple teaching tools that are the norm in golf carried over more consistently in lacrosse, there are however, some lacrosse people who do it right. My suggestion to you is to do the research and work hard to find them. Stop accepting that your town or club has good coaches and instruction simply because there is former DI, DII, or DIII players involved. Invest the time to find an experienced instructor with a methodology that makes sense and is real. Its a hard game to play and you only get one chance to get it for your kids.

]]>My thoughts on this NLL all time teamhttps://millonlacrosse.com/my-thoughts-on-this-nll-all-time-team/
Thu, 24 Dec 2015 05:02:48 +0000http://millonlacrosse.com/?p=2151Take a look at this NLL all time 30 I have all the respect in the world for the guys on the NLL top 30 all-time list, I really do. A huge majority of them I competed against for 9 years and we beat the shit out of one another. These guys are skilled, tough as […]

I have all the respect in the world for the guys on the NLL top 30 all-time list, I really do. A huge majority of them I competed against for 9 years and we beat the shit out of one another. These guys are skilled, tough as hell, and not one player on the list should not be on the list. As a matter of fact there probably should have been a top 50 list because the difference after the top 15 is negligible…I mean negligible.

Before I continue, Tom Marechek at 15 is just flat out wrong. It’s a miss and it’s a lack of research and responsibility. Talk to the players in the top and they will all tell you his skill, championships, and game changing ability should have him no higher than 5 or 6.

I will say though, other than the Marechek spot…the top 15 are really no brainers and they are pretty dialed. These are truly the guys that have completely set themselves apart from the rest.

The only issue I have is the favoritism towards players with a box lacrosse background, politics, or possibly just a lack of work/caring by the NLL to compile this list. The guys that ARE on here are THE best no question, they have played a long time, been ambassadors, and have all the skill in the world. But based on the numbers below and the championships they have won there are some really solid guys missing. Any time you are going to do one of these media stupid ass fan “polls”, just have integrity ok, take the time to get it right.

Take a look at Jake Bergey and Kevin Finneran’s career stats and factor in their Championships. Kevin might have 3? Bergey at least 2? With their scoring numbers, come on!? Factor in they played their entire career with or against all the top guys on the list including Gait, Gait, Tavares, Williams, Doyle, Grant, Elliuk, Watson, Dietrich, Manning, Kilgour, Kilgour, Prout, Powell, Marechek, Coyle, Veltman etc.. Please also take a look at Ted Dowlings, Chris Gill and Dan Stroup numbers for scope vs. some others. How are these guys not on the list? Amass those numbers and championships vs all the top guys and you aren’t one of the top 30 players all time?

Please, the NLL is generally a joke organization who continues to churn through cities and commissioners like most people change underwear. It’s a great product, guys literally give their ass for that league. It should look back and appreciate and spend a little more than an hour on these all-time great lists. Maybe start worrying about the past players in all aspects (Concussion protocols? Uh, no) and they will care more about being ambassadors to the league.

** if there are guys I missed, sorry I put this together because I love the game and think there is a lack of respect for people and a rush to sell tickets, I am quite sure other guys are worthy of mention in this blog

For purposes of rounding out the top 30, I think we can assume the top 5 look like this

]]>There is no place for late hits/head shots in (youth) lacrossehttps://millonlacrosse.com/there-is-no-place-for-head-shots-in-youth-lacrosse/
Mon, 02 Nov 2015 16:39:19 +0000http://millonlacrosse.com/?p=2041As some of you know I have been around lacrosse on so many different levels for quite a while. I love it like it’s my own child and it’s given me everything I have in my life. There are clearly some great things going on with the sport and clearly some big issues. Among the […]

]]>As some of you know I have been around lacrosse on so many different levels for quite a while. I love it like it’s my own child and it’s given me everything I have in my life. There are clearly some great things going on with the sport and clearly some big issues. Among the things I love are the growth in participation, the fact that elite NCAA players are coming from all over the U.S, and the growth in television coverage.

Amongst the issues in my mind are the rising costs of participation and the early recruiting mess.

However to me the most startling is the lack of quality officiating during tournaments and in general all youth play and the emphasis on physicality and in particular shots to the head and late high hits. I recently spoke with a true legend in the game. A guy who coaches HS lacrosse, coaches in the MLL, coached Team Canada to the World Championship, played at Hopkins and grew up in Canada. His take? Lacrosse should not be a collision sport it should be a physical contact sport. Is he soft? Am I soft? If you think so come watch me coach or view some highlights of how I played the game. Physicality is a part of the game and for high school, NCAA , and professional players that have further developed brains and the ability to dodge to avoid the checks I have slightly more tolerance for it, not the late ones. For 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th graders, I have no tolerance and NO ONE is taking this serious. One of my teams played in an event in Maryland last fall, in one tourney game there were 12 penalties, about eight of them were high hits to the head. None of the high hits inspired an ejection, a three to five minute penalty, a warning to the players, NOTHING. This then is ok with the tournament director? Is it ok with the refs not to protect 6th graders further? Was this the world championship or a game amongst 6th graders in the fall? Is it not in the interest of US Lacrosse to try something to police this? What to me is ironic is that the NCAA, where the players can dodge and do have more developed brains ARE taking head shots serious just not the lawless irresponsible world of youth lacrosse. Is this just an anecdotal situation? Am I just upset about what I witnessed last fall in Maryland? You tell me from what you have seen. My answer is hell no, I have seen this happening more and more during the last three years and its getting no better. It’s getting no better because there is no leadership. It’s really not something that can be argued, these type of hits are NOT part of the game and not safe for youth players.

So why wouldn’t the tournament directors simply tell the referees high LATE hits are unacceptable and will be met with game ejection? How simple is it for the ref to speak to the game coaches pre-faceoff and remind the coaches/players “all head shots/late hits are game ejection”, would it still happen? Would people be that pissed off if Joey gets ejected for an egregious late hit or head shot? Isn’t that like taking the keys from a drunk driver, no one argues with that right? The kid could sit one game and learn his lesson; would it hurt the team that much? If it does is the game that important to you? And if it is then don’t freaking hit a kid high in the head in the first place. The only argument would be its subjective, it leaves it to an official to eject a player for a high hit and maybe it wasn’t. I say why in the heck not err on the side of caution, if this cleans up the youth game and a few kids need to suffer by getting ejected? So be it, look at the flip side risk.

Anyway, love to see someone argue with me that head shots and high hits are good for lacrosse and especially youth lacrosse. Just look at how the multi billion dollar empires of the National football league, NCAA football, or the NHL views head shots, everyone seems to care except youth lacrosse. If everyone agrees let’s mandate the tournament directors and leagues where care more about our kids safety, take more leadership, educate the refs, and keep these boys enjoying the game the way it should be. Our young kids should be taught how to play. How to dodge, how to develop great stick skills, to have fun. It’s just not fair to the kids, it’s not safe for the kids, and it’s the responsible thing for everyone to start taking this serious.

]]>My take on the early start of the season/NCAA lacrossehttps://millonlacrosse.com/take-early-start-season-ncaa-lacrosse/
Tue, 17 Feb 2015 20:02:49 +0000http://millonlacrosse.com/?p=1886I write this blog on Tuesday afternoon from my Baltimore office. We had the most significant snowfall of the season, around 6”inches on the ground has cancelled school for my 5th and 2nd grader. The powdery snowfall gave them a great opportunity to catch up on some good sledding. As I look out my window […]

]]>I write this blog on Tuesday afternoon from my Baltimore office. We had the most significant snowfall of the season, around 6”inches on the ground has cancelled school for my 5th and 2nd grader. The powdery snowfall gave them a great opportunity to catch up on some good sledding. As I look out my window and then over the calendar it sure feels as if we are still in throws of old man winter. Yet I flip through my twitter feed and am noticing that some NCAA teams are heading into their FOURTH game of the season this coming weekend. That is truly crazy! Almost every Division I team plays 13 or 14 games all hoping to wrap up on Memorial Day weekend. Yeah that Memorial Day, the one that comes up every year in almost in June yet teams are getting ready to play game four? How does the math work out on that? Nine or 10 games left to play, plus maybe a weekend conference tourney and we are only in Feb? Several teams will have close to half their schedule done in the brutal cold by March 10 or so.

I have seen more outcries on this through social media in the past two days than ever before. Seen some really influential lacrosse personalities like Quint Kessenich, Paul Carcaterra, and a great article in the Baltimore Sun from Mike Preston. A writer who has been around covering sports for a very long time.

I’ve got to say I don’t like it, either. NCAA lacrosse is the pinnacle of the greatest sport in the world. Yeah, we have an MLL but I tell these young athletes every spring, “enjoy it nothing will ever be the same regardless of what level you achieve after college, nothing”. NCAA lacrosse is a celebration of the sport and it shouldn’t happen in the ice cold, in snow storms, in football teams indoor facilities, and with massive piles of snow stealing the balls. Sure, if we went back to the schedules we had ten years ago we would still play two to three games in the less than ideal weather but not seven or eight. I sat through a wonderful game last Tuesday night between Hopkins and Towson, I dressed for skiing and was literally shivering the whole fourth quarter somewhat uncontrollably. That game on a warmer spring evening would have probably drawn well better and been considerably more enjoyable for all. To me though there is something the NCAA coaches very likely never think about is that the whole sport below them follows suit. They are the leaders, they are the pinnacle. All these clubs and youth leagues see the NCAA teams start and it seems they feel they need to start early as well or they feel they are doing something wrong. My sons are 11 and 8 and their first practices are THIS weekend. Was that happening ten years ago? No way!

Clearly there are conference scheduling and conference tournament issues that did not exist ten years ago. The one thing I don’t know is if the NCAA regulates that start of the season as they do in NCAA basketball.” Midnight madness” on college campuses kicks off the first day (night) teams can practice and it’s a great celebration. Why does it seem some D1 lax teams start Jan 8 and some Feb 1? Couldn’t the NCAA at least regulate the start of practice which should “control” when teams play their first games? Beyond that I don’t hold any coaches responsible, especially if its not regulated. Ten years ago, I cannot remember a single D1 coach losing his job, now what has there been 8-10 in that time? Salaries have exploded, tv coverage has exploded, camps/tournamants/teams have exploded so why not get out after the new year and get it going? Why not take a full week to get ready for big games rather than play mid week? I mean it’s all understandable. I just think whether the teams playing another two mid week games, push back the final four, whatever the solution I sure hope the guys can collectively find a solution for the good of the fans and the kids out there competing

]]>Millon Lacrosse Tips: Stick Protection to Ground Ballshttps://millonlacrosse.com/millon-lacrosse-tips-stick-protection-to-ground-balls/
Tue, 14 May 2013 16:17:45 +0000http://millonlacrosse.com/?p=1393Tip # 6 We got a collection of skills that most great defensemen seem to possess. Following these tips will make you a much more well-rounded lacrosse player! When going into a one on play (and for good team defense), keep excellent body position. When playing one on one, get into your athletic stance. Make […]

We got a collection of skills that most great defensemen seem to possess. Following these tips will make you a much more well-rounded lacrosse player!

When going into a one on play (and for good team defense), keep excellent body position.

When playing one on one, get into your athletic stance. Make sure you have your hips between your man and the goal at all times. Shuffle your feet, but do not cross them when moving!

Study your opponents. Learn their weaknesses. The more you know their weaknesses, the more you can exploit them.

Keep control of your slides. Slide body on body.

As with any sport, communication makes all the difference. Make sure your team is all on the same page: who has the ball, who has slide, etc.

Take pride in the little things. Don’t be afraid to go after the ground balls and take the role of offense!

Confidence plays a huge role in lacrosse. Know that you will win!

Tip #7

Ground balls win games, but you can help that! Here’s some tips to make you the immovable wall to ground balls:

Follow this simple technique: Position yourself to be close to the ground and directly between the ball and the attacker. Keep the hand down that’s closest to the bottom of your stick, and explode through the ball. Immediately cradle and tuck your stick. Pass right away if you can; otherwise, just run away from the pressure.

Don’t ignore loose balls…go for them! The truth is the person who gets the ball is the person who wants it the most. Depending on your skill level, ground balls can keep you on the field, so make sure you practice.

Tip #8

Stick Protection: You MUST have proper technique! Here are some helpful tips:

On the arm you carry your stick with, cradle it vertically and always keep your elbow locked. Keep the tip of your stick as high as possible, while still comfortable. But keep your elbow about 4 inches or less from ribs. Don’t swing your arm!

Your unused arm should be kept in a comfortable position, yet still protecting!

]]>Mark Millons Lacrosse Tips # 3https://millonlacrosse.com/mark-millons-lacrosse-tips-3/
Tue, 02 Apr 2013 04:01:26 +0000http://millonlacrosse.com/?p=1281Tip # 6 We got a collection of skills that most great defensemen seem to possess. Following these tips will make you a much more well-rounded lacrosse player! -When going into a one on play (and for good team defense), keep excellent body position. -When playing one on one, get into your athletic stance. Make […]

We got a collection of skills that most great defensemen seem to possess. Following these tips will make you a much more well-rounded lacrosse player!

-When going into a one on play (and for good team defense), keep excellent body position.

-When playing one on one, get into your athletic stance. Make sure you have your hips between your man and the goal at all times. Shuffle your feet, but do not cross them when moving!

-Study your opponents. Learn their weaknesses. The more you know their weaknesses, the more you can exploit them.

-Keep control of your slides. Slide body on body.

-As with any sport, communication makes all the difference. Make sure your team is all on the same page: who has the ball, who has slide, etc.

-Take pride in the little things. Don’t be afraid to go after the ground balls and take the role of offense!

-Confidence plays a huge role in lacrosse. Know that you will win!

Tip #7

Ground balls win games, but you can help that! Here’s some tips to make you the immovable wall to ground balls:

-Follow this simple technique: Position yourself to be close to the ground and directly between the ball and the attacker. Keep the hand down that’s closest to the bottom of your stick, and explode through the ball. Immediately cradle and tuck your stick. Pass right away if you can; otherwise, just run away from the pressure.

-Don’t ignore loose balls…go for them! The truth is the person who gets the ball is the person who wants it the most. Depending on your skill level, ground balls can keep you on the field, so make sure you practice.

Tip #8

Stick Protection: You MUST have proper technique! Here are some helpful tips:

-On the arm you carry your stick with, cradle it vertically and always keep your elbow locked. Keep the tip of your stick as high as possible, while still comfortable. But keep your elbow about 4 inches or less from ribs. Don’t swing your arm!

-Your unused arm should be kept in a comfortable position, yet still protecting!